Better, Stronger, Scared
by TheSoulStealer
Summary: Alex isn't your average girl, what with being followed by two alien-based groups. And these seemingly-prophetic dreams she keeps having. And maybe the fact that the Blue Cube seemed to have a weird effect on her. Sheesh, one would think that she's not completely human. Why else would the yeerks have such a fascination with her?
1. Prologue

_**So, I decided to re-do this story. I know that I can do much better with my writing than what was previously up!**_

Marco looked up at me with a cute innocence. It's the thing that I've always loved about him. No matter what he was doing, he was always so innocent about it.

Of course, that also involves fighting and killing Yeerks. What are the Yeerks? Well, it's not exactly my place to describe them. I've only been with the Animorphs for a few days.

And now they're entrusting me with the most beautiful and dangerous thing that has ever been in my life.

The Blue Box.

"You know what to do?" Marco asked.

I nodded, too afraid to talk for fear that I might start crying.

"See you." Marco gave me a joking smile. His eyes were filled with sadness, and a few tears betrayed me as I thought of what was going to happen to him.

And then I erased his memory.


	2. Chapter 1

My heart pounding, I shoot up in bed, choking down a scream, my entire body shaking and breaking out in a cold sweat. The digital, hello kitty clock on my bedside table with the red, LED numbers that I've had for forever reads 4:00 AM. Last time I woke up, it's was 3:00. Two nightmares within two hours. That can't be a good sign.

_It was in my ear..._

Let me just say that, for the record, I don't like bugs or worms or creepy-crawlies of any kind. Some would say that I'm afraid of bugs. They would be exaggerating. I am not merely afraid of bugs. I am deathly terrified of them. Slugs, especially the gray kind that crawl into your head through your ear canal just to take over your brain, are no exception.

I don't exactly know why I keep having this dream- this nightmare, but I've had it so many times that I can remember every detail. There isn't exactly that much to remember.

I can hear the sounds of hopeless people, sobbing and screaming and praying. I can't see them because my eyes are closed and I'm holding my breath. I soon find out that this is for a good reason, as shortly before I get my bearings, my head is shoved into this thick, sludgy substance.

I start to feel something slimy wriggle into my ear. I panic and start to thrash, opening my eyes and lungs to the gray sludge, but my head is still being held underneath the disgusting liquid. I start to choke as some of the stuff makes its way down my throat and down my trachea.

_The yeerks,_ I think to myself. _They finally have you, Alex, and they're going to take over your brain. Say goodbye to life as you know it. You're about to become a slave._

And then I wake up, wondering what horror movie or book or game could have possibly put this idea into my head.

_That's it. I'm getting to the bottom of this yeerk-slug-thing, whatever it is_. I throw off my covers and hop out of bed. My laptop is sitting on my desk charging. I walk over to it and open it up, type in my password, and open my search engine. I type the word y_eerk_, figuring that if nothing comes up, I can forget the matter all together and pass it off as my overactive imagination.

My finger hovers over the search button. What a joke, I think as I click the mouse.

Instead of the _this webpage can't be found, check your spelling or possibly call a psychiatrist_ screen I was expecting to get, the search got one result.

I start to get excited, not only because I'm probably the only person in the entire universe who found a googlewhack with one word, but because I know I'm not crazy.

Then I get scared. If the yeerks are a real thing, or at least a fictional thing known by a few people, then what are they doing in my dream? And why are they so horrible?

I could be getting this wrong. I could have just heard the word somewhere and subconsciously invented a story to go along with it. Yeerks could really be pink unicorns that ride on butterflies and shoot rainbows out of their ears.

A fly lands on my hand, tickling me with its tiny legs. I jump out of my chair and swat at it, holding back a shriek. Since when did a fly get in my room, and how?

Gross.

After I'm sure the fly is no longer a threat, I sit back down at the computer and click on the link. The page had been deleted before I could get to it. Damn. I was really hoping for some answers.

I shut the laptop in frustration and stumble back to my wonderful, tempting bed. Exhausted, I close my eyes and sleep dreamlessly, only waking up to the annoying beep of my unforgiving, hello kitty alarm clock.

* * *

Marco finally sheds his fly morph at 6:00 in the morning, and not a moment too soon. If he can report to Jake quickly enough, he'll be able to get at least an hour and fifteen minutes of sleep before school starts.

Marco takes a few deep breaths, shivering as the cold of the night penetrates his morphing suit. Before he can fall asleep on his feet, he changes into his usual, more comfortable flying morph- an osprey.

From what he could see with his fly eyes, Alex knows what Yeerks are. At least, she has heard the word before. But what compelled her to google it at four in the morning?

/Yo, Jake. Wake up.\ Marco thinks to Jake as he flies over his house. /C'mon, man, open a window. I'm exhausted.\

It takes about a minute, but a window finally opens, and Marco lands on the window sill.

"What happened?" Jake asks, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

/Alex tried to kill me.\

"Did you land on her?"

/Maybe.\

Jake glares at Marco, less than amused. "Get to the point so I can get to sleep."

/She was up when I entered the room. Cassie says she woke up from a nightmare. She was at her computer and she looked up what the Yeerks were.\

"Did she find anything?"

/What do you think, Prince? She found that old website we deleted awhile ago.\

"Then?"

/She went to bed and hasn't woken up.\

"What about her dad?"

/He hasn't been home all night. I'm 99% sure he's a controller.\

Jake yawns. "Thanks, Marco."

/I don't really know why we have to keep stalking this girl. It makes me feel like a creeper.\

"You know why. She's being watched by some of the highest ranking yeerks, yet they haven't tried to get her to join The Sharing or make her a controller."

/Yeah, yeah. It's probably nothing.\

"Maybe it is, but until we've found that out we need to keep a close eye on her."

/Whatever you say, boss.\

Jake rolls his eyes. "Goodnight, Marco," he says, and he closes his window. Marco flaps his wings and take off towards his house. It takes all of his strength to not fall asleep on his doorstep. When he finally crawls into bed, he still has his morphing suit on.

_If Alex were so important to the Yeerks, she'd be a controller already,_ he thinks as he drifts off to sleep.

_But what if she already is working for the yeerks? What if this is just another trap?_

Marco's eyes shoot open. He starts imagining the horrors of the Yeerk Pool, imagining the sheer torture of being infested by a yeerk.

When Marco finally falls asleep, he has half an hour before he has to wake up for school.


End file.
